SpaceX claimed Thursday that the first all-civilian, privately-funded crew to reach orbit came through their first hours in the weightless atmosphere of space healthy, joyful, and resting well.
Elon Musk, the company's founder, stated that he had just spoken with the Inspiration4 crew. He noted that everything was fine.
However, there was no immediate information on what they discussed or any updates on the historic mission's progress. Only a few tweets from SpaceX have provided updates thus far, with the company confirming two rocket firings Wednesday night to place the Crew Dragon capsule in a record 365-mile-high circular orbit - slightly higher than intended - and stating that the crew is in good health.
Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and a rival in space, congratulated Elon Musk and the SpaceX team on the successful launch of Inspiration4 last night. Is this another step toward a world in which everyone has access to space? Here's what Musk had to say in response.
Elon Musk Says Anyone Can Go to Space, Thanks to Inspiration4!
Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, said on Twitter that anybody could go to space. He guaranteed the plan's feasibility in the future years. Thanks to the Inspiration4 mission, which demonstrated the feasibility of sending selected civilians into space for days.
A Twitter follower shared his hopes and desires to the CEO, stating that his objective or wish before he dies is to travel to space. He addressed this to the CEO and SpaceX since they have the ground-breaking technology and program for space tourism, which is backed up by successful launches and the most recent mission.
Space was once reserved for a privileged few, which spurred many people to pursue their dreams of becoming engineers, medical staff, researchers, scientists, and other space-related occupations.
Some people have been offered the opportunity to be drafted as astronauts, which requires extensive training and conditioning. However, this will soon change, as firms like SpaceX and competitors like Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic bring the idea of space tourism to the market
You Can See SpaceX's Inspiration4 Spacecraft From Earth
You might be able to see the spacecraft traveling overhead in the night sky if you peek outside at the right moment - no telescopes or binoculars required!
The Crew Dragon has a maximum magnitude (a measure of brightness) of roughly 1.6, making it about as brilliant as the star Shaula, which represents the "stinger" of the constellation Scorpius, the scorpion, according to the skywatching website Heavens Above. On the other hand, the brightness of the Dragon depends on its orbit and how much of the spacecraft's Earth-facing side is lighted by sunlight.
Heavens-Above has made a free tracking tool available so that everyone can see when the Inspiration4 Crew Dragon spacecraft "Resilience" will fly overhead. Enter your position, and the tracking tool will show you the exact timing of the next overhead passes, as well as information on the capsule's current magnitude and where to look.
N2YO.com is another useful tool for following Crew Dragon. This webpage will automatically utilize your position to show you when Inspiration4 will make its next overhead pass, and you can view a live map of the spacecraft's present location.
SpaceX has also shared a live animated view of Resilience's location at spacex.com/launches. While this interactive globe is entertaining to use, SpaceX's website lacks any useful skywatching information.
Even if Resilience is visible to the human eye under clear skies, binoculars or a telescope will provide a better look. Twitter user Marco Langbroek recorded a video of Resilience passing the overhead Netherlands with a telescope the same night on September 16 for a comparison.
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